VISUAL REPORTS
American Financier's Detention In Moscow Rattles Investors
A major U.S. investor in Russia is potentially facing a long jail sentence after being arrested on financial fraud charges. It's the latest case to shock an already wary foreign investment community in Moscow.
House Arrest For Jehovah's Witnesses In Russia
In Kirov, two members of the Jehovah's Witnesses have been placed under house arrest, continuing a legal onslaught by prosecutors against the religious group.
Donations Help Keep Russian Doctor On The Streets
Yevgeny Kosovskikh provides free medical care to homeless people in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. After Current Time first aired a story about his work last year, people came forward with money and supplies to keep his mobile practice running.
Anti-Government Protesters March In Montenegro
Anti-government protesters in Montenegro’s capital city Podgorica have accused top officials, including President Milo Djukanovic and Prime Minister Duso Markovic, of failing to fight corruption.
Belarusian Horsepower: Ingenuity And Half An Audi
Belarusian villager Alyaksey Vusikau has figured out how to rein in his fuel expenses: by cutting his car in half and harnessing it to his horse.
OTHER NEWS
Russian Sunday Show Outlines U.S. Missile Targets
Russian propaganda chief Dmitry Kiselyov used Sunday’s episode of his signature program Vesti to outline the U.S. targets of Russia’s new Zircon missile system. Kiselyov declared the Pentagon, Camp David, and Fort Ritchie among targets on the East Coast, while those on the West Coast include McClellan Air Force Base and the Jim Creek naval communications base in Washington state. Kiselyov has previously warned on his program that Russia can turn the U.S. into “radioactive ashes.” (in Russian, Current Time TV)
'Welcome To Hell': Life In A Notorious Russian Women's Prison
From kittens tossed into blazing furnaces to prisoners losing fingers slaving for hours at sewing machines in a rat-infested sweatshop, IK-14 prison for women in Russia’s central region of Mordovia is one of the country’s most dreaded female correctional facilities.
U.S. Destroyer Arrives In Ukraine
The U.S. destroyer U.S.S. Donald Cook has arrived in Ukraine and will be stationed in the port of Odesa between February 25-27 in a visit the U.S. Navy has called a show of solidarity following Russia’s attack on Ukrainian military ships in the Kerch Strait last November. (Ukrainian Service)
Moldova Elects Parliament With No Clear Majority
No party has secured a majority in Moldova's February 24 parliamentary elections, preliminary results show, as rival political forces are engaged in a tug-of-war between integration with the European Union and closer ties with Moscow.
Protests Against Serbia’s Vucic Continue
Demonstrations took place in Belgrade for a 12th straight Saturday on February 23, continuing a campaign of protest against Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
Romanians Protest Government’s Judicial Reforms
More than 10,000 people gathered in Bucharest on February 24 to protest government efforts that many believe are aimed at undermining the independence of the country’s judiciary, while thousands more rallied in other cities including Cluj, Timisoara, Constanta, and Baia Mare.
Asqar Mamin Appointed Kazakhstan's New Prime Minister
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has appointed Asqar Mamin as the country’s new prime minister, four days after sacking the previous government for what he described as its failure to raise living standards and diversify the economy away from the energy sector.
In Kyrgyzstan, Social Benefits Come At A Price
Kyrgyz officials have recently acknowledged that bribery is widespread in the country's social-welfare system, with some Kyrgyz officials being accused of extorting money from benefit recipients as a kickback for "enabling" them to receive the cash.
Tajik Activist Forcibly Returned From Russia, Say Rights Groups
Tajik and Russian officials have arbitrarily detained and forcibly returned to Tajikistan Sharofiddin Gadoev, an opposition activist who is a recognized refugee in the Netherlands.
ICYMI: The Annotated Putin: 'State Of The Nation' Dissected
MAJLIS PODCAST: China's Security Interests In Central Asia
POLL: Most Russians Equate Corruption With Government Decline
A new Levada Center poll finds that 68% of respondents believe that bribery and the high number of arrests of officials in Russia are the result of corruption and reflect the deterioration of state authority. (Russian Service)